Author: Leah Vasey-Saunders

We are delighted to announce that The Revd Dr Joel Love, currently Assistant Curate at Lancaster Priory Church has been appointed Vicar of Rochester (St Peter with St Margaret). This was announced this morning both in Lancaster Priory and in his new parish in Rochester. Joel will be with us in Lancaster until next April, and his last Sunday with us will be Easter Day.

We are confident that his new ministry will bring blessings to many, just as he has been a source of blessing during his four years here in Lancaster.

Joel has said, “This past week the Bishop of Rochester and the Chapter of Rochester Cathedral as joint patrons of the parish of Rochester, have formally invited me to become Vicar of the parish of Rochester St Peter and St Margaret. And I have accepted their offer. I would like to thank each and every one of you for your support and encouragement during my training in ministry over the past 3 and a half years.”

The Revd Chris Newlands, Vicar of Lancaster said, “We are delighted to hear that Joel has been appointed to this important post as Vicar of Rochester. He has made a significant impact in his ministry here in Lancaster, and though we will be sad to see him leave, we know that his many and varied gifts will be well used in Rochester as he takes on the responsibility of leadership in this parish, and we pray that God will bless his ministry there, as he has blessed his curacy with us in Lancaster

The funeral of a former Mayor of Lancaster took place on Monday 24^th November in the Regimental Chapel of Lancaster Priory. Alderman Sybil Rostron, who died at the age of 98 had been involved in Lancaster’s political life for over 40 years, a career which saw her as Leader of the Council, then Mayor of Lancaster in 1999/2000, during which time she welcomed Her Majesty The Queen to Lancaster to celebrate the 600^th anniversary of the Duchy of Lancaster passing to the Sovereign. Her late husband, Captain Cedric Laird Rostron was, until his death in 2003, the last surviving officer of The King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment.

Born Sybil Atack in 1916, her grandfather had owned cotton mills in and around Lancaster at the peak of Lancashire’s cotton industry.  She retired from politics shortly after her Mayoral year to care for her husband, but was always to be seen attending the annual Remembrance Day service in the Garden of Remembrance at Lancaster Town Hall. This was the first year she had missed, and she died on Armistice Day, November 11^th.

Memories at Lancaster Priory go back a very long way, and several parishioners can remember a good number of those who have, in recent years, carried the ancient title “Vicar of Lancaster”, going back as far as Benjamin Pollard, Vicar from 1922-55, and who was also Archdeacon and Bishop of Lancaster before moving on to be Bishop of Sodor and Man.

But it would take a life of extraordinary longevity to remember Joseph Turner, who was Vicar in the middle of the nineteenth century. But it was this particular Vicar of Lancaster who, in 1861, received a request from the “township” of Fulwood in Preston to provide a curate to have the cure of souls there. Fulwood was then – though it is hard to believe now, still a part of our parish of St Mary’s Lancaster – it was the largest parish in the county at the time. The Vicar gave permission for this new parish to be formed, with the usual caveat that he should have the right to appoint successive vicars of the new parish, hence the patronage (or advowson) – was vested in the Vicar of Lancaster and his successors.  The petitioners were soon able raise the necessary funds to build a church. It took them just two years to raise the required sum (£3,700) and the foundation stone was laid in 1864, and the dedication of this new parish of Christ Church, Fulwood by the Bishop of Manchester took place in 1865, which began a long association between Lancaster Priory and the new ecclesiastical parish, designed to cater for the growing population of wealthy Prestonians moving into the Forest of Fulwood as the Industrial Revolution gathered pace. And so today’s Vicar of Lancaster still has the patronage of that (and many other parishes in Lancashire and beyond).

It is in this capacity that the Revd Chris Newlands was invited to Fulwood to preach at the start of twelve months of the 150^th anniversary celebrations at Christ Church, a vibrant church, though the original parish has subsequently been divided into two, with the new parish of St Cuthbert’s carved out of the original Fulwood parish. The present Vicar of Fulwood, The Revd Brian McKonkey was appointed by Canon Peter Cavanagh and is well known to many in Lancaster as he had previously worked in the Parish of St Thomas, Lancaster

It’s coming up to “my busy time of year” I am being told. If I had a pound for every time I heard that, we’d be able to write off our parish deficit at a stroke!

But, undeniably, the season of Christmas is approaching. I lost count of the early sightings of Christmas trees this year – I swear it is getting earlier every year! But perhaps I’m mellowing as the years advance, but I’ve not been quite as annoyed at the early trees and “Book Early For Christmas” signs as in years past. Everyone prepares themselves for a major event in their own way. Some people start well in advance. (I know someone who buys their Christmas cards in the Boxing Day sales!) I, on the other hand, like to snap up the real last minute bargains that are to be had at around 4.30pm on Christmas Eve. If the Christingle Service doesn’t go on too long (and it shouldn’t, as I usually take it!) that gives me enough time to get down town for a last minute bargain or two.

It’s all about how we prepare, a countdown to a special event. 10 more sleeps till a holiday. A specially dedicated website tells me that as I write this, there are precisely 41 days, 6 hours and 18 minutes of shopping hours left till Christmas. Whether we are preparing for Christmas by making sure that we have bought the perfect present for a loved one, or by carefully following the liturgical calendar’s Sundays before Advent, then the Sundays of Advent and following the appropriate readings and prayers – I hope that we will all take the time to make certain we are ready for a very special celebration.

But can I offer one particular suggestion as to how we may celebrate the birth of Jesus? We are all only too aware of the world’s problems, the appalling violence in the Middle East and many other countries across the world. Apart from prayer there is little we can do to change the course of world events. But let us focus on what we can do, rather than what we can’t do, and seek to heal wounds and make peace wherever we can: within our family, in our community, in our place of work or rest. This act of peace-making and reconciliation would be a wonderful way of preparing our hearts and minds to celebrate that great feast of Christmas, as the Lord of love and peace comes down at Christmas to  bind up the broken-hearted, and give healing to a lost and broken world. I can’t think of a better way to prepare for Christmas!

May God’s love be with you in the preparation for, and celebration of Our Lord’s birth at Christmas.

Over The Top, the drama with music about a Lancashire regiment during the 1st World War graced Lancaster Priory over the last 2 evenings.

It was maybe odd at first to see two women playing the parts of boys who signed up to fight aged fifteen, but the moment they begin to act you are transported into the trenches, with their worries and fears, their boredoms and irritations, and the fear of the General who sends them off on a hopeless mission. It also added to the humour, as Jim proudly states he is now shaving twice a week and practises swearing, now he’s a soldier.

The choir and instrumental ensemble perfected their “Greek chorus” of songs about the soldiers’ initial pride in their regiment, their disappointment in being sent to Suez instead of France and then the fear of snipers in the trenches when they finally get there.

The music written and arranged by Andy Whitfield, composer of “It’s a Girl” and “For Every Child” was inspiring.

A great piece of funny, entertaining and moving theatre, thank you to everyone.